Korean J Lab Med.  2006 Apr;26(2):86-92. 10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.2.86.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Rotavirus Gastroenteritis Relative to the Infecting Rotavirus G-P Genotype

• Jang SJ
• Kang JO
• Moon DS
• Lee SH
• Yeol AG
• Jeong OY
• Han HL
• Chaulagain BP
• Cho SS
• Park YJ

• KMID: 2238896
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.2.86

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Group A rotavirus is a major cause of severe diarrhea in children throughout the world. For the proper management of rotavirus infections, it will be helpful to know their clinical characteristics according to the G and P genotypes of the infecting virus.
METHODS
The diarrheal stool specimens from patients hospitalized in Chosun University Hospital during 2002-2003 were tested for rotavirus by Dipstick 'Eiken' Rota kit. Rotavirus antigen-positive stool specimens were analyzed for group A rotavirus by RT-PCR, and the group A-positive PCR products were genotyped for P and G types by PCR.
RESULTS
Among the 119 specimens analyzed for genotypes, the predominant strain was genotype G4P[6] (51.3%), followed by G2P[4] (19.3%), G1P[8] (7.6%), G3P[8] (5.0%), and G9P[8] (4.2%). To examine the characteristics of each rotavirus genotype, a clinico-epidemiological study was performed for 100 patients whose medical records were available. The frequencies of diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and fever; the rates of nosocomial infection and transfer from other hospitals; and the mean severity scores were significantly different among the patients infected with different types of rotavirus. Especially, patients with G4P[6] type were more likely than those infected with other genotypes to show the following distinct features: Most patients showed milder symptoms and were neonates transferred from other obstetric hospitals and 68.4% of the cases were nosocomial infection. G4P[6] strains were isolated almost all along the year. The mean severity scores of patients infected by G4P[6], G2P[4], G1P[8], G3P[8], and G9P[8] strains were 6.8, 9.5, 8.0, 9.0, and 10.8, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Many features of rotavirus infections including the epidemic period, rate of nosocomial infection, age and severity of symptoms were different according to the genotypes of the infecting virus.

Keyword

Rotavirus; G4P[6] strain; Genotype; Clinical features; Nosocomial infection

MeSH Terms

Child
Cross Infection
Dehydration
Diarrhea
Fever
Gastroenteritis*
Genotype*
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Medical Records
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Rotavirus Infections
Rotavirus*
Vomiting

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Temporal distribution of the genotypes of rotavirus strains.

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  Fig. 2. Distribution of rotavirus genotypes detected in different age groups.

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  Fig. 3. Distribution of community-acquired and nosocomial rotavirus infections according to rotavirus strain genotypes.

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  Fig. 4. Monthly distribution of transferred and directly admitted patients of G4P[6] rotavirus infections. (A) and the one focused on hospital M and hospital E (B).

Reference

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